To fome that came from Church, he faid, You have been in the Affembly of God's People, the defirable Affembly, wherein Communion and Fellowship with the Father and Son may be attained; and all these Enjoyments are among the most valuable to be had here, and they are the Way to our Reft, which remains for the People of God; But O! to be joined with the Company above. How amiable are thy Tabernacles, even here! but more fo above, where there's the Eagle's Eye, that can fee a glorious Light, even the Light of the LORD. Now, our Faith, even at its higheft Elevation here, when it looks to thefe Things, they are fo great, that we pass from our Compearance, we're not able to behold them. Now, I hope in God, and bleft be his Name: Tho' I was once well near the faying, My Hope and Strength is perifbed from the LORD; yet the LORD rebuked that. My Unbelief was very impudent in urging Suggeftions. A Shadow of a Difficulty will fright, and lay me on my Back. I'm Nothing, lefs than Nothing, a vile Sinner; but Mercy does all, 1 blefs his Name; and he himself has faid it, and done it; and now I'm lying his Debtor not able to pay a Mite of it.

Then to the Minifters he faid, Now I would fain hear, Sirs, hear of the Gofpel, hear of CHRIST. On which the Minifters prefent difcourfed a while of the Promises of God, the Faith and Experiences of the Saints in former Times, The Lord, faid he, has indeed dealt wonderfully with me; he has taken me out of the miry Clay, and fet my Feet on a Rock; he has come in the Watches of the Night, and calmed the Waves of the raging Sea. 1 expected no Smile when I took this Trouble; and many a Time I've been this Winter at saying, I'm like to be a Branch that's withered, caft over the Hedge; 1 brought all this Strait on my felf; and I thought, ifl could win away, creeping with Terrours, to be plunged into Eternity with a Peradventure, it was fair, Praife is comely: I'm one of the Chief of Sinners very kindly dealt with; whence is this to me!

At Night, he faid, There will be a Turn. One faid, Yea, no Doubt of that; your Defluxion is already dried up. He faid, I take Shivers, that I'm hopeful it's my Deliverance

coming,

Coming, under the Conduct of the great Captain of Salvation, I'll fhake Hands with the King of Terrours; tho' one Fit of Sickness would but take away my Tongue, another my Ear, another my Throat, I'll be content. One faid, That's a Mercy. He faid, Yea, yea, the troubled Sea, 2 Mind fretting, rifing up in Rebellion against God, is uneafie. I blefs him, I got that Mercy in the Violence of my Trouble; he kept me from daring to entertain a harth Thought of him, he held me by the Hand; And I fee now what Corruption is, even while under the most of God and his Goodness: I have been kept under a continual Fear of my ill Heart. These are the two worft Enemies 1 have, Self with its fair Shews, fecret Infinuations and Unbelief, ftruggling hard againft me, It's a Mercy, he gives me now and then, when I'm able to speak, Leave to follow the old Trade, to preach and commend Chrift; I think he has given me good Caufe. Sometimes I find it fafer for my Body and Head, to hear others speaking.

After he had lien quiet a little, to his Wife he faid, O! my Dear, I was juft praying for you, and your Bairns, and commending you to your God, and my God, to our Fathers God. Being much troubled with the Cough, he faid, There are no Coughs in Heaven.

In the Night-time, he caufed read the Songs of Degrees, and faid, They were fo call'd by fome, because they were fung on the Steps of the Stair, that led up to the Temple: And, faid he, what meeter to be read to a poor Sinner, that aims at climbing up the Hill of God, where the Temple of God is. Under the old Teftament, it was only the high Prieft that was to enter within the moft holy Place, and that once a Year, and not without Blood; but now! there's a Way open'd into the Holieft of all, for every Believer.

One faid, I thought, Sir, you was expreffing your Fears anent the Times. He anfwered, Yes indeed; I'm no Prophet, I'm not pofitive on the Head, but I greatly fear a heavy Stroke coming on this Land; I fear the Plague of God is coming on Scotland. One faid, The Peftilence, Sir, do you mean? He faid, Yes indeed, and a bloody Sword allo. Nay, it's what I fear'd thefe feveral Years, and I bide by it, I'm of the fame Mind ftill; and I do not fee what Way it's evitable without a Miracle; and a Miracle

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I do not expect: But feek to be eftablish'd in the Truth. These are like to be fhaking Times.

September 22. At half two, he asked what Hours it was, and faid, Early in the Morning my Friends fhould be acquainted, because I do expect this Cough will haften the Deliverance; the LORD can do it fpeedily; but in the Mean-time he'll give me Reft, Reft with himself. What needs a poor Creature, that has a Profpect of such a Reft, weary of outward Trouble? I'm lying very compos'dly, Glory to his Name; I hope I'm going to the Land where there's a Calm. One faid, You have no Reason to doubt of that. He faid, No, no.

Then he renewed his Difcourfe on the Cafe of the Church, and faid, Zion has been much upon my Heart; I have had much Toffing about the poor Kirk of Scotland; O what will come of it, and the Town of St. Andrews! Then he expreffed his Fears of a Stroke coming on all the Churches, that God was about to give them a terrible Shake. One faid, If fo, I would fain hope it may be. Antichrift's laft Stroke. He answered, Perhaps it may be fo. He spoke of Mr. Hooker's Denunciation of Wrath against England, which is mentioned in the Hiftory of New-England. And, said he, We are going to unite with the Sins of France, what Ground of Fear may this be? I fear Perfecution by the Popish Party. One faid, However, it's the more hopeful that the reform'd Churches are like to be join'd with us in the Trial.

He answered, But I'm very apprehenfive God is about to winnow the reform'd Churches indeed, Well, well, faid he, I'll get out of the dark Cloud; within a little, I'll be in Abraham's Bofom, yea, in the Bofom of him that carries the Lambs in his Bofom; and I'm fure of Goodness and Mercy in great Store, even all that's laid up for his People, to follow me. O he's good to a poor Worm, the Chief of Sinners! O! let us exalt his Name together; it's the conftant Imploy of all above, they ceafe not Day nor Night, they fee and fing, they have a clear Vifion. O ifI faw his lovely Face, that's fairer than the Sons of Men, yea, that's beyond the Sun at Noon day! O to be where there's no Sin. How fweet has even this Bed been, tho' Sin remains, and my Trouble's great! yet I've been compos'd in the midst of my Trouble. He can give Heaven in the worft of Cafes, What fhall I fay? how fhall I conceal his Goodness?

Thinking

Thinking on the Students of Divinity, who were then feparate in Time of Vacance, he dictated a Letter, to be communicated to them at their next Meeting; the Copy whereof follows,

Dearly beloved in our LORD, my Joy and Hope, and the Hope, fhall I fay, of the Church of Scotland.

You are de ferve the LORD in the Church of Scotland, OU are devoted to the Study of the Gospel, for preferving in Order to the Continuance of the Gospel, with the rifing Generation. A Profped this is of the higheft Concern, the most honourable Piece of Service you can ever be imploy'd in. This Study weakly as I could, I did endeavour to affist you in, according to the Measure of the Gift of Chrift, in publick, in private, to the utmost that a fading Body would allow, and beyond; yet with much Pleafure and Satisfaction, in Hopes that the LORD one Day might make my weak Labours, and your vigorous Studies, through his Bleffing, ufeful in the Church of God, a Bleffing to Pofterity, and a high Honour to your felves. Want of Health allow'd me not what was in my Heart to have done for your Aftance and Encouragement: And now I have no more left me, but to give a fincere Teftimony of my intire Affection for you, and that I have really the Yernings of a Parent's Bowels towards you, by fignifying in this short Line, when upon a Death-bed, and near the Confines of Eternity, that you may vigorously ply that Study, and reft not short of faving Acquaintance with the Power of divine Truth, and experimental Knowledge of the Mystery of God and of Christ, diligently ufing all Means that the Word of God may dwell in you richly, and that ye may have Treasures furnish'd richly with Things new and old, and that ye may prove one Day able Minifters of the new Teftament But reft not, for the LORD's Sake, and your own Souls Sake, in the bare Fruits of your own Studies; but feek to be taught of God, that you may at once grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of God: Beware of Curiofities and Novelties in Religion: Adhere, as you'll be answerable, unto the Doctrine of the Church of Scotland, fincerely taught by your worthy and judicious Mafter, whom ye are happy in, if you know your own Mercy, and

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have

have Grace given you to improve it. This is a Time of abound ing Errors; beware of drinking them in: Beware of an affuming Boldness in the Matters of God. The Fear of the LORD is the Beginning of Wisdom. What Man fears God, God will teach him the Secret of his Covenant. I have not Time nor Strength, being by the LORD's Hand cut short, to write my Mind diftinctly to you: But fince I am now very near Eternity, loaded with the Riches of God's Goodness, I could not but by thisLine fignifie my fincere Defire,that you may be nourish ed up in the Words of Truth, and that you may ufe wholfom Food, and be kept from Poifon. I recommend to you, among Bumane Writings, for a true View of the Mystery of the Gospel, efpecially thofe of the great Dr. Owen: But the Word of God, in Dependence upon the Spirit of God, must be your Study and Meditation Day and Night. Words cannot exprefs what I bave found of God fince I came to this Bed of Languifbing, what Advantage I have found of having minted at following that God, that Truth, that Gospel which I recommended to you; and therefore, am bold to recommend to you this as the most noble, honou rable,advantagious Work you can be imploy'd in; and I am this Day fure from Experience,that it is better to ferve the LORD in the Gospel of his Son, than to ferve the greateft Princes on Earth, in the highest Station. If God help you in this Service to be faithful, the Reward is too great to be express'd. My Thoughts, my Words are swallowed up, and my Affection towards you is fuch, that my Body would quite fink to speak what is on my Heart of Love to you, and defire to have you acquaint with my dearest LORD, to whom I always was deeply oblig'd, but now am fo much indebted, that I fear to mention how good he has been to my Soul. O choofe him, cleave to him, ferve him, fudy to know more and more of him, live in Communion with bim. Never reft till you reach eternal Communion with bim. This is all from your dying Mafter. I have defir'd my Brother in Law to fign this in my Name A Death-bed will excufe Confufion. I wish nothing more than that, after you have done much Service to the Church here, I may have the Happiness to hear you approven by the great Shepherd of the Sheep.

THO. HALYBURTON.

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